Steinberg needs to look at the numbers the team can afford. If you pay Backlund $6M, that puts the cap situation in a pinch.
Right now the Flames have about $4-4.5M to sign Bennett to an extension. That is already taking into consideration that the team is going with Jankowski and Kulak as their extra players, and them eating up just $1.7M between them, leaving ~$1-1.3M as a buffer for the season (all numbers from CapFriendly). So depending on value and term, what they can pay Backlund is up in the air.
As it sits we only have Stajan and Versteeg as salaries coming off the books next season. If the Flames get lucky and can lock Bennett up at $4.5M for 6 years, then they can take a shot at Backlund for $6M. If they can't lock up Bennett, they have to be concerned about the contract negotiations down the line, and that number going higher. They must also recognize that Tkachuk, Lazar and Ferland will be needing new contracts in two years time, and that has to be taken into consideration, as no major contracts are scheduled to come off the books. The only hope for some flexibility in salaries if to have Gillies and Parsons jump up and take the reigns in net. That will provide some cost control for an extra year or three in the crease.
The approach I would take at this is to try and get Bennett long term on that $4.5M contract, then hope the salaries of Stajan and Versteeg ($4.9M combined) will cover the cost of new contracts for Backlund and Tkachuk. So try and get Backlund to sign for his current hit plus that of Versteeg ($5.325) and hope you get Tkachuk done with his and Stajan's money ($4.05M) on a long term or a bridge. That is assuming you can get bridge contracts for Jankowski and continue to feed cheap young players in to fill the holes. Backlund at $6M just doesn't seem like it would work when you project where the young guys should be headed. Every dollar counts, especially when you have a lot of good talent.
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